"What do you guys think about this year's basketball team?" asked Chiwon, blowing on a hot piece of spicy rice cake. "Are they any good?"

"I wonder how the team is holding up now that Woojin graduated." Daeun mused, having a mini chopstick fight with Taehyung in her attempt to grab a piece.

"The track team guys said that some of the new faces are really good." Jungkook huffed, wolfing down the food. He did not seem bothered by the heat at all and nearly toppled the plate off of Jia's hands.

The five stood huddled next to the street-food truck across their school. Munching on servings of hot tteokbokki right after their rehearsals was turning out to be a regular ritual. There was the usual buzz that every new year brought; a hope for a better future that lingered lazily.

"Well in that case, I hope we kick BIHS's ass this year." Chiwon grinned excitedly. Busan International was their rival school. The two schools fought neck to neck in every competition, but the annual Basketball tournament always remained the highlight. You didn't even have to like Basketball, rooting for one's school was an automatic response. It was more than just winning a game; it was a matter of pride and honour for everyone.

"I don't think we will. Their team is pretty strong." Taehyung replied matter-of-factly.

"How do you know?" Jia asked, pulling in her thick padded jacket close to protect herself from the ruthless January wind.

"I studied there before shifting here. I have insider information." He nodded.

There was a collective gasp from the group. "You used to be at BIHS?!" asked Daeun in disbelief. "Guys, he might be a spy."

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "And what good would that do me?"

"Oh no." Jungkook's eyes had a mixture of fear and awe in them. "Are 'those guys' still on the team?"

Taehyung nodded his head apologetically. "Yeah, they're still on."

The group collectively groaned. "Oh man, why haven't they graduated already! I hate to say this, but they'll be the ones kicking our asses. Again." Chiwon yelled in frustration.

Like any schools, BIHS also had a few popular faces. For the past two years, a group of four guys had gained fame that extended beyond the boundaries of their high school. Dubbed as the 'F4' (inspired by the famous television drama 'Boys over flowers') the four guys were revered for their talent, looks and power. Jongin, Chanyeol, Sehun, and Baekhyun were the star players of BIHS's basketball team. Being in their final year, Jia knew that her school was bound to lose to them. Upon losing the match the previous year, a few of her seniors had gotten violent with them. The few witnesses that got to see the fight first-hand confirmed that the four easily beat them to pulp. The pitiful bandaged looks on her seniors the next day had provided enough evidence to support the claim. As for their looks, it was safe to say that her own school had several secret fan-clubs for the four.

"I'm gonna miss seeing their beautiful faces next year." Daeun sighed dreamily.

"Damn, those guys are really cool." Jungkook chimed in.

"I don't see what the hype is all about." Taehyung shrugged, gulping down the last piece.

The five stood talking for a little longer until Daeun and Chiwon bid them goodbye.

"I have something really exciting." Taehyung said giddily as soon as it was just the three of them. He took out a file from his backpack and carefully held out two neat strips of white paper. Intrigued, Jia took one and studied the words in black ink.

"Tickets to your play!" She shrieked, pulling Taehyung into a hug. He seemed delighted at her enthusiasm.

"It's this Thursday. The two of you can make it, right? You're sort of the only ones I'm inviting from school." He smiled widely.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Jia assured him. Jungkook agreed by slapping the other on the back. The two followed an excited Taehyung as he began listing out his various plans for the day.

***

"I'll text you once I get back home." Jungkook listened as Jia talked on the phone. "Sure, okay." She paused before speaking again. "I love you too. Bye." He watched as she smiled into the phone.

They climbed up the narrow stairs and found their seats as per the ticket. He removed his camera bag from his shoulder and set it neatly onto his lap. "I'm assuming that you two made up."

Jia raised an eyebrow at him. "Who? Yoongi?"

He nodded in response.

"Of course. It's been four days. I can't stay mad at him forever." She replied nonchalantly.

He narrowed his eyes in contempt. "Did he have a reason for 'forgetting'?"

"No, but he apologised a lot and bought me chocolates." She shrugged.

"Of course, he did. Typical fuckboy." He scoffed. "And you gave in for some chocolates? What are you, ten?" The more he heard about him, the more Jungkook disliked the dude. Yoongi was clearly taking advantage of his friend's innocence, and he desperately wanted her to see it. He had witnessed how heartbroken she had been, and he, along with Mina and Namjoon agreed that it was a dick move. She had even dolled up for the occasion and they collectively felt enraged at the disrespect. How can one simply 'forget' a date? He would understand it if there had been a justifiable explanation but just as he had predicted, there had been none. 'If I had a date with someone I loved, I would never forget it.' He thought to himself.

He must have hit a nerve for she looked at him offended. "Okay first of all, Yoongi, a fuckboy? That's an oxymoron in itself. He's almost invisible to everyone else." She huffed. "Second, chocolates are an all-age delicacy. I will not have you demean it. And third, I forgave you when you bought me chocolates after you almost killed me." She said, crossing her arms as though daring him to produce a counter remark.

Jungkook flushed at the last part. He racked his brains for a possible comeback but nothing came to him. Besides, if she wanted to defend the asshole, it was her call. He was simply doing his bit as the concerned friend. He resorted to mumbling and moved on by taking out his precious camera. "This place is huge." He said dumbfoundedly as he scanned the large theatre. The place was designed elegantly and smelled of quality wood and perfume. The sides were ridged with structures to enhance maximum sound quality and the seats were built enough to host a considerably large concert.

They were seated to watch the premiere of the play A Hyacinth Dream. From the theatre in itself, it was evident that this was a production of a much larger scale compared to the previous one. Taehyung had mentioned that they would be performing the drama for a couple of events in the city and might even set up production in other cities depending on the critic's response. Taehyung had mentioned rather shyly that he did not play a big role but both him and Jia were proud of their friend nevertheless.

By the time the drama started, the place had been dimmed to focus illumination on the stage. The story was set in contemporary times and hence had minimalistic props. But it seemed evident that they'd taken great care to perfect everything, even to the minutest detail. Jungkook thought back to all the stories that Taehyung had shared about how hard it was to execute individual runs. A mixture of things put together to move in perfect synchronisation. Being a part of a play himself, he understood how difficult it was to seamlessly produce dialogues, actions and movement on stage; all without the luxury of retakes. The more he watched, the more he felt the need to perfect his own part so as to bring about this sense of flawlessness.

The two remained absorbed by the charming plotline, and felt captivated by the stage. He occasionally clicked pictures of beautiful scenes or exchanged a murmur of approval with Jia when an actor moved them with their skills. The two also silently cheered in glee whenever their friend showed up on stage in green overalls. Taehyung played the role of a farmer boy and the two sat in awe of his talent despite seeing it up close every week.

It had been a little over an hour when Jungkook's phone vibrated in his pocket. He whipped it out in annoyance, eager to switch off his phone. He was mildly confused when he read the caller's name.

"Arden? What's up? I thought I already told you I had plans." He whispered into the phone.

"Hey kookie, yes you did. I know you're probably busy right now but I... I didn't know whom to call." He was alarmed to hear her sniffle at the end.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" He asked urgently.

She didn't say anything immediately, but he heard muffled sobs from the other end. "It's... nothing. I fought with Seju and I- I just wanted to talk to someone. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called."

"Oh." He replied, not knowing what to say. "Do you want me to come get you?"

There was a slight pause. "No, no. Of course not. You should get on with what you are doing. Don't mind me. I... I don't want to disturb you."

"Are you sure?"

There was another pause. "Yeah...I guess."

"Okay then. I'll call you later." He nodded.

"Oh. Y-yeah. Okay. Bye."

Jungkook cut the call and diverted his attention back to the stage.

***

Jia stood a little uncomfortably, caught the sea of people. Unable to take any more of being pushed around, she forcefully made her way amidst the crowd, trying hard to spot a boy in green overalls.

"Taehyung!" She yelled out in joy as she caught his sight.

"Jia!" He yelled equally excitedly and led her to a more peaceful spot.

The moment she untangled herself free from the crowd, she ran and hugged the boy in delight. "You were wonderful! I'm so proud of you!' She said breathlessly as she pulled away. She meant every word of it. She was so proud that she felt like she was close friends with an A-lister, cheering on an award show.

"Thank you so much for cheering for me." He blushed a little as he smiled. He suddenly seemed confused, looking around in search of something. "Where's Jungkook?"

"He had an emergency and had to leave early." She said apologetically.

"Oh." He said, his smile drooping a little. "I see. Is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure, he didn't tell me much." She replied truthfully. But seeing the disappointment on his face, she hastily added, "He must have had a good reason to leave because I'm sure he wouldn't have otherwise. He was here for the most part, he only left towards the very end and I can assure you that he's equally proud of you. I can even prove that with all the million pictures that he clicked of you."

"Really?" He asked, the blush returning to his cheeks. "He took pictures of me? That's so sweet." He looked like a happy shy puppy. "I hope he's okay."

"Don't worry about it. He's fine. Tonight, we're here to celebrate your awesomeness." She said cheekily.

Unable to handle the shyness, he hit her playfully on the arm. This, Jia realised by now, was his signature way of showing affection. The two were too busy giggling when a shadow loomed over them. Surprised, Jia scanned the person standing tall behind Taehyung, and let out a tiny gasp as she registered their face. A worried Taehyung looked at the person behind and let out a gleeful "Hyung!"

Dumbfoundedly, Jia blinked to ensure that she was indeed looking at Kim Jongin. The fact that this mini celebrity was smiling at her was weird enough, to top it off, Taehyung had casually called him hyung with no formal honorifics.

"Hyung." He said once again. "This is my friend Yun Jia."

"Hi. It's nice to finally meet you. Tae has told me a lot about you." He smiled warmly, extending his arm for a handshake.

Still at a loss of words, Jia shook his hands mechanically.

"Judging by your face, I'm guessing you already know who he is but nevertheless; Jia, meet my brother Jongin."

"Your what?!" Her jaw dropped further.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Are you that ashamed of me to never even mention me to your friends?" Jongin folded his arms and fake scowled at his brother. Before Taehyung could reply, an even taller figure appeared and put his arm around Jongin.

"Who do we have here?" Asked Park Chanyeol, eyeing her curiously.

"This, my dear friend, is Tae's missus." Jongin smiled innocently, earning a severe stamp on the foot from Taehyung.

Jia stopped herself from saying 'Say what now?' Blushing furiously, she realised only seconds later that they meant her caracter from the play as Nora.

"You must be Jia! Hi, I'm Chanyeol." He said, shaking her hand. "Where's the other musketeer?" He enquired, looking around.

"Jungkook had to leave early because of some emergency." Taehyung answered, walking towards the backstage dressing room. "Come, I want you guys to meet the director."

***

Jia shuffled her feet nervously as she distractedly scanned the menu. She was still processing the fact that she was sitting across two members of the esteemed F4. Despite her lack of interest in campus politics, she found herself intimidated by them. She knew of at least ten people who would've done anything to take her place; starting with Daeun.

Too many things happened all at once and she seemed to be in a daze. Before she could comprehend the fact that Taehyung was the younger brother of their rival school's popular gang leader, she was being introduced to too many people at once (most of whom she could barely remember by this point). When he left her to change out of his costume, she found herself in the company of Jongin and Chaneyol who insisted that she join them for dinner. Furthermore, they also insisted on driving her back home since her ride had graciously ditched her. The three now sat perusing the menu at a nearby restaurant, waiting for Taehyung to join them.

"So, how are you holding up with the rehearsals?" Chanyeol asked, looking directly at her.

"It's quite okay." She blinked.

"How's Tae in class?" Jongin enquired.

"I'm not sure. We're not in the same class." Jia replied.

"You're not?"

"Nope. We're in separate divisions." She nodded. "But, he's generally on the quieter side until you get to know him."

"Okay, before he gets back, I need to ask you something." Leaning forward, he asked in a hushed voice. "Do you...get picked on by bullies?"

'That's a strange question', thought Jia. "I uh used to, but not anymore."

"Does uh... Tae get picked on in school?" he asked carefully.

Realising that he was just looking out for his little brother, Jia was moved by the sweetness. The question brought the image of a certain moppy-haired boy into her head and she controlled herself from cursing the guy out loud. If the F4 knew about Jimin, she was certain it would be the end of him.

They must have read her dilemma for they immediately followed it up with another question. "Do you know anyone named Jimin?"

Seeing that they already knew him, she figured there was no point holding it in. "I do and he is horrible."

"I knew it!" Jongin said, banging the table. "See, I told you he was keeping something from me." He said, nodding to the other boy. "What does he do? Is he like a big bully? Does he pick on Tae?" He asked multiple questions in a single stretch.

Jia explained the whole hierarchy of bullies to him and told him all about how Taehyung happened to be his specific target. Once she started speaking, all of her pent-up fury at the boy seemed to pour out. She mentioned several incidents that she knew of and explained a few in which she had personally intervened.

It'd been a hectic day of rehearsal when Jimin had had the audacity to pick on Taehyung right in front of her. Knowing Taehyung, she had held herself from intervening until the boy had snatched her friend's glasses. Holding the glasses behind him, Jimin had teased the boy and had even threatened to smash it. Having seen enough, Jia had confidently stridden up to the other boy, and had demanded it back. He had given in without much of a protest, but to her horror, she realised that it only worsened the bullying. He started mocking Taehyung for being too weak to stand up on his own.

"And this other day, I was on the other side when I heard him calling stuff like-" Jia was cut off by a now casually dressed Taehyung. Beaming, he made his way towards them and plopped himself next to her.

"What are you guys talking about?" He asked, eager to join in the conversation.

"Nothing much." Shrugged Jongin. "We were just chatting about Jimin."

Taehyung's eyes widened at the name. "About how he is just my classmate and nothing more?" He asked, looking accusingly at Jia. She quickly averted her gaze, taking a sudden interest at the restaurant's aesthetic new year decorations that were yet to be taken down.

Jongin sat with his arms crossed and looked at his brother sternly, as though to demand an answer.

"Fine, yeah he jokes around with me sometimes." Taehyung sighed. "But I didn't tell you anything because I don't want you making a big fuss out of it. I can handle it on my own."

"Can you though?" Jongin pressed. "From what she told me; he's only getting worse."

Taehyung shot another glare at Jia and this time, she returned his gaze apologetically. "I have a plan. As long as I don't give him any attention, he'll get bored of me soon enough." He insisted. "I know you're only trying to protect me, but you have to trust me on this."

"Of course, I trust you." The older brother sighed. "At least now, I feel better knowing that you have friends who are looking out for you." He smiled warmly at Jia.

"That I do." Taehyung confirmed, hitting Jia on the arm a little harder than usual. She knew she deserved it and resigned to smiling politely.

"So, who's ready for some fried chicken?" asked Chanyeol, breaking the silence. He raised his cup of coke and the three cheered back enthusiastically, raising their cokes to Taehyung's bright future.